Politics And Vending Machines
by A Winds Whisper
Summary: When diplomats are being threatened, their families are seperated for protection. But when Tom introduces a diplomats daughter to Shizuo as a client, he realizes that being her boy-guard will get him in way over his head. [In Future Chapters; Violence, Romance, Strong Language Previously: Bittersweet Relations ] Request: Shizuo Heiwajima x Original Character
1. Chapter 1

Out of Story;

DISCLAIMER: I DONOT OWN DURAURARA! All I own is Clara Lilith Witte and the plot!

**Chapter One**

People tell me that my position will never change. That no matter how time goes on I will be forever labeled as the Daughter of Power or the diplomats daughter. Would it be cliché if I said that I wanted to just be normal? It would…probably. No doubt. But honestly, who can blame me? I didn't choose to be born into this family, no matter what religion or person tells me otherwise. We all have dreams, and we all have things we want to do, but there will always be things that stand in our way. Some problems are along the lines of laziness, or financial problems… Mine? Well, mine is my position, my stubbornness and people trying to control my life. Then again, what person didn't believe that their parents were trying to guide their life to the parents desired goal?

Anyway, I seem to be getting off track from my original plan. My name is Clara Lilith Witte, although most call me just Clara. I suppose this is just a way of narrating my life, and honestly feel awkward doing this. How should I begin telling you how my life decided to just give me a U-turn? Let's take the cliché route yet again…

Just as I did every morning, I awoke to the blaring noise of my alarm clock. The noise seemed to demand everyone's attention in the home, despite the fact that it was an apartment. And.. I was the only one in the place. Slipping out of bed, I felt the familiar cold caress my pale skin. The cold just made me want to return to the haven of my bed and the warm covers and just cocoon myself until I'm asleep again. But I'm an adult now.. with a job, just like pretty much everyone else in this building. Begrudgingly walking to the bathroom, I start the water and strip down. The warm liquid washes over my frame, helping me to wake. Once completely clean, I turn off the water and step out, only to wrap myself in a fluffy cloth.

It isn't a very long trot to my room, but the cooler air does make me shiver. Finally I reach the bedroom and slip into my usual uniform. With the scarlet blouse buttoned and my shoes strapped on, I quickly return to my bathroom. I cringe at the blast of hot air from the blow-dryer, but sigh happily. Clipping my now dry copper hair out of my face, I walk towards my kitchen and begin heating up the water. As it heats up, I rush about as I attempt to get my materials together. God, my boss is going to kill me! That alarm clock needs to be set earlier…Mental note, made. The echo of my heels against the bamboo flooring fills the silence as I return to the kitchen. With the burner off and the water then poured into my travel cup, I place the teabag in it and rush out the door. As I pass open apartment doors, the bitter scent of coffee fills my nostrils. The scent causes me to scrunch up my nose, 'How can anyone stand that scent…' I think to myself before I realize that the scent of excessive amounts of perfume and cologne does not bother me anymore.

The elevator was starting to close, familiar faces standing on its platform. I dash to meet it, slipping in with centimeters to spare. With the shiny metal doors shut, we take the slow trip down to the lobby of the building. There were small conversations, filled with the familiar questions asking how the others were doing, how the family was or if there was any trouble they could help with. The last one was the most empty of all of them. We all separate at the front door, as I give a polite nod to the door-man. I start towards the usual bus-stop, almost automatically before I am stopped by a few men in black suits.

"Miss Witte?" One of the men questions.

"How can I help you?" I respond, raising an eyebrow as the two men exchange glances.

"We were hired by your father. You're going to need to come with us."

I raise an eyebrow as I ask for confirmation. They dial up my father, telling him the situation before finally handing the cellular device to me. On the other end is the familiar voice of the diplomat, who confirms their story. Placing me in a simple navy car, they fill me in on the situation. More and more diplomats were being threatened, and a few even had the threats carried out. I gulp down my fear as they take me to the airport, ushering me towards the private plane. Once on board, I recognize the faces of others in their seats; the ones that I had only seen at banquets. Other children of the diplomats, both young and old, filled most of the seats. Sitting in my seat with my bag in its place near me, I strap in. I hear faint radio calls, signaling it's okay for take off. Soon enough, my suspicions were confirmed as I felt the sensation of lifting off into the air. I put my head on the window and watch the land below grow smaller and smaller, before my eyelids shut.

Warm hands shake my frame, and I open my hazel irises, which trail up the arms before finally resting on the face of their owner. Green irises meet my own, a smug smirk placing itself on the males features.

"Come on, Witte. This is our stop." His voice calls, the familiar mocking tone tells me.

"Oh shut up, Richard." I grumble, unbuckling myself as I stand up. My joints pop as I stretch, grabbing my bag as my childhood friend and I trot off. None of this place is familiar, but by process of elimination (and the language on the sign) I determine that we are indeed…in Japan. One of the guards walks out behind us, and spoke to us.

"Welcome to Ikebukuro, Miss Witte, Mister Knox."

My friend and I trade glances, as we sigh. The guards guide us towards a car, being told that it will drive us to the apartments in which we will live for the time until things have 'settled down'. We drive in silence, well mostly silence. Richards music is blaring through his headphones, and some part of me hope's he does go deaf. But everything seems to stop as a mail box crashes down on the hood of our car.

Author's Note: Yes! The chapter is done. Shizuo will show up next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

Out of Story:

DISCLAIMER- I do NOT own Durarara, Shizuo, Tom, Izaya, or any character in Durarara!

**Chapter Two**

_My friend and I trade glances, as we sigh. The guards guide us towards a car, being told that it will drive us to the apartments in which we will live for the time until things have 'settled down'. We drive in silence, well mostly silence. Richards music is blaring through his headphones, and some part of me hope's he does go deaf. But everything seems to stop as a mail box crashes down on the hood of our car._

Any rational person would have unbuckled themselves, gotten out of the car and run as fast as their legs could carry them. In that moment, I was not the most rational person.. And Richard would back me up on that fact. I scrambled to unbuckle my seatbelt, jumping out of my seat with my heels clicking along the asphalt below. The concerned and angry voice of my companion was ignored, as I quickly ran through the streets. People must have thought I was insane or something.. But from what I saw, some others were eager to watch as well. A rough voice rang through the frightened shouts, screaming a single name.

"IZAYA!"

Izaya. Who was Izaya and what had they done to really piss who ever this person was, off? Maybe I was being kind of an idiot. Don't tell Richard. Pushing my way through the crowds and cars, I finally found the source of the chaos. A tall blonde man stood, a cancer stick in his mouth, still smoking. Brown irises were cold and hard, colder than ice…almost as cold as liquid nitrogen. The expression on his features was terrifying to most, a look of complete rage. Opposing him was a happy male, fairly similar in height to the other. His shaggy onyx hair hung over his eyes, with brownish-crimson orbs watching with almost childish glee. They had a stare-down for just only a few seconds, before the blonde grabbed a light pole nearby.

"What did I tell you… About being in Ikebukuro?!" Growled the blonde.

"I was simply just enjoying a stroll, Shizu-chan~" The black-haired male cooed, rocking on his heels.

"Bullshit!" 'Shizu-chan' barked, as he ripped the light pole from its place in the cement.

My hazel eyes grew wide as I watched in awe, the male throwing the light towards the male. The jacket-clad male jumped out of the way, landing in front of me. He moved unnaturally quick, so I stumbled back in order not to get in the way. But sadly, my yelp caught his attention. Crimson-brown irises landed upon me, before a sly grin graced his features. There was this… glint in his eyes, one that sent a shiver down my spine. His hand quickly took my own, lifting it up to his lips. Warm lips pressed against my knuckles, giving it a gentle kiss.

"Ah.. Just who I was looking for. Welcome~" Purred the male, his hand tugging my frame towards his own.

I was frozen…speechless. What was I supposed to say? Who was this guy? And why is he so uncomfortably close? My thoughts were soon interrupted as his arms looped behind my back and under my knees. He jumped, stepping on the vending machine and bouncing himself up and onto a tree branch. My arms had found themselves wrapped around the males neck, clinging onto him. My frame was tense and stiff, frightened of being dropped. I suppose in that moment I was so caught up with my thoughts that I had not heard the voice shout out the name again.

"Izaya! You damn coward, put her down!"

A 'tsk tsk' sound came from the male who held me, who I assumed is Izaya. But his words made my blood run cold. "All I wanted was to introduce myself to Clara!~ Is that really a crime?"

Oh jegus how did this guy even know my name? Shizu-chan stepped forward before a familiar voice shouted through the silence of the anxious crowd around us.

"Yo! Put my friend down!" It growled, before the frame walked through the crowd. Richard appeared and walked up to the tree.

I think my dear companion really had a death-wish..it really seemed like it sometimes. But Izaya hummed before nodding, as if saying 'whatever you say.' His slender arms released me, but because of my state, mine didn't release him. There was almost a flash of surprise in his eyes as the weight shifted, the two of us falling down. The first thing I felt was my hips hit a hard substance, then my elbows. A groan escaped my lips as I opened my eyes, trying to process what had just happened. A scarlet went on my cheeks as I looked up, crimson irises meeting my own. A smirk placed itself on his lips. I quickly realized the position we were in.. My knee was between his legs, and his between mine. His arms were on either side of my head, and there was less than a few inches between our faces.

"You could have just asked if you wanted this position, Cla-"

Izaya was interrupted as a bench collided with his frame, sending him flying into a nearby building. I blinked and looked up, only to see Shizu-chan above me. Richard scrambled to get me up, and I obeyed. I was too amazed to argue, as he hurried me away and back towards the guards. Some of them were in what they referred to as civilian clothes, as they guided Richard and I towards the apartments. The entire time my mind was wandering with questions.

Why were they fighting? What was with Izaya? Wasn't chan only for females? Is all of Japan like this? Why did my cheeks heat up whe—Wait I know the answer to that one. Was Shizu-chan okay? Was Izaya okay? How did they not kill each other?! All of these questions and so many more ran through my mind as I was hidden behind guards. They rushed us through the stairwell and up to our apartments, shoving us inside. I couldn't hear what Richard was shouting towards me as he was placed into the apartment. Almost immediately I was surrounded by a new crowd, a crowd of designers and stylists…Nothing I hadn't seen before.

I felt my short hair being yanked and attacked with brushes. The male guards left as the stylists and designers began working. When I asked why this was all necessary, they giggled as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. One was respectful enough to inform me that it was so I would not be recognized. Those with any interests in politics would know who I was, and thus I would be in danger with the hell that was being raised in the politics around the world. For the rest of the time, they silenced me. Extensions were placed in, my hair dyed into a light blonde. Finally I was given relief as they discussed my wardrobe. They had to change how I appeared, so all of my ear-vines were out. The chatter went on as my hair was finally dried and placed into an up-and-down style.

Hours of coaching on make-up and clothing later, the nuisances left with proud expressions. Guards walked in with envelopes, and suitcases. They talked me through the new persona I would have to undertake. My name isn't Clara Lilith Witte, it's Clara Rena Strend. I am not twenty two, I'm seventeen and currently attend Raira Academy as a foreign exchange student. My family lives in Denmark, not America, and I have an older brother named Matthew. I work with a family friend at a club, and I'm actually allowed to show my experience with mixology and audio engineering. Thank gods.. I work there as a bar-maid, helping the official bartender mix drinks and distribute them; although it sounds like a waitress in my opinion.

Once they quizzed me on my alias and handed me everything I needed, they let me go. I had been locked up in my current prison for a couple hours. With a swift exit, I was left alone in the silent apartment. Silence embraced me as I went over the events of the day. My father was being threatened, my life was in danger, I was transferred to Japan for my own protection, Japan has a man who can rip light poles out of the ground and a flirtatious and crazy weirdo, I am no longer myself but a completely different person, and I will stay here for as long as my life is on the line… No big deal… Right? A small sigh escapes my lips as I look around. I admit that the apartment didn't look too bad, it did look like a teenager had been living there for a while.

Rummaging through my bag, I found my laptop and pulled it from its case. I logged in and started up my playlist, before setting it down. Hey, I'm not used to working in silence, okay? Walking around the apartment, I noted where everything was placed. One bed-room, One full bathroom, a fairly average sized kitchen for an apartment, and a living room. It was most definitely for one person, or at least a single couple. I admit it was pretty cozy. I returned to the bedroom, and opened up the closet. The first thing that I saw was my uniform, front and center. Removing it from its place, I scanned it over carefully. A white blouse, scarlet bow-tie, and a matching dull blue blazer and skirt. Why did I get this weird anime vibe? Well, stereotypes have to come from somewhere. I returned it to its proper place before going over my new wardrobe. Deciding to change into my new persona, I stripped down and replaced my crimson blouse and black slacks for a pair of jeans and a dull violet v-neck.

As I leave, I slip on my golden hoodie and grab my messenger bag. My laptop is shut and stuffed inside as I dash out the door. I'll check on Richard later, for now I want to look at this place I would have to call home for god-knows how long. The guards tried to tell me that there were gangs in the town, but honestly where I come from… gangs are just teenagers trying to be tough. But just in case, I always follow rule number nine, never go anywhere without a knife [1]. Trotting through the hallways and lobby, I move outside. Taking in a deep breath, I smell that familiar scent of rain. I love that scent.. and somehow it made me feel invincible. Upon my instinct of adventure, I walk about the streets as I soak in everything. I plug in my headphones and place them on my ears, playing my playlist on my phone as I wander about. This is just.. amazing. I have no other words to describe it! The buildings are beautiful and this place is lively. Maybe it's just something in the air but I just.. feel like maybe being here wouldn't be _so_ bad. I must have been wandering about the city for longer than I thought, because the next thing I know, I'm getting a text message. I check the sender, who is identified as Rian Doe.. Also referred to as my security. They really are taking this a little bit too far. The message tells me where to meet my new body guard.

Using the map program on my phone, I follow the directions. I feel strange stares on me as I walk, and I soon train my ears to listen on those who murmuring to one another.

'Is she really one of the Yellow Scarves?'

'I can't believe she's even wearing that! And in public!'

'Let's get out of here… who knows how many are following!'

Yellow Scarves. The name rings in my ears as I walk along the streets. Who or what ever the Yellow Scarves are, they sure scare everyone. But I'm slightly confused. I'm not wearing a yellow scarf..I'm wearing a yellow jacket, but that's about it when it comes to yellow of any shade. My uneasy feeling increases as I walk past a pair of police officers, and I can just feel their stares burning into the back of my head as I pass. Something's off. But I need to focus on just meeting my new body-guard. For the second time today, I hear that familiar scream.

"IZAYA!"

I look up in attempt to find who owns it, and I see a familiar blonde in the park… and a flying mail box. Again. Well crap, it's coming at me…It's coming at me! I let out a yelp as I jump to the side. The metal scrapes against my arm as I pass, and I clutch my limb.

"Shizu-chan, you almost hit Clara-chan again!~"

That voice. Oh please please not again. Please not again! Izaya comes into my line of sight and lands a few meters in front of me. He gives me a wink as he darts past me, and I feel my cheeks heat up. I felt like I was having total déjà vu. Rubbing my arm, I walk towards the park to find the man I'm supposed to be meeting. But he seems to find me before I can find him. A hand touches my shoulder, and on instinct I grab for the blade in my pocket.

"Relax. You're Clara,right?" The owner of the hand steps into my line of sight, and hazel irises meet almost black orbs.

"Tom?" I question in response.

A small smile plays on the mans lips as he nods. This guy seemed more like a mafia boss than he does a body guard. "Then are you the body guard they sent me?"

"No, miss I'm not. My employee is." He smiled slightly before turning a few degrees. A whistle escapes his lips, before he calls out. "Shizuo! Get over here!"

People look over at the man who dared to order the man named Shizuo around, and I shuffled awkwardly. I really just want to go back to the apartment and work on my playlist, but apparently that's not socially acceptable even in Japan. Grumbling was the first thing I heard, before a rough voice spoke from behind me.

"What is it, Tom?"

"Shizuo, meet your new client. Miss, meet your new body guard, Shizuo Heiwajima."

Turning on my heel, I am met with the collar-bone of a male frame. Upon stepping back and moving my head up, I see something I hadn't imagined.

"…Shizu-chan?"


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER:

I Do **NOT** Own Durarara! , Tom, Shizuo, Izaya, Mikado, Kida, Anri OR ANY CHARACTER FROM DRRR!

I **DO** own: Clara, The Plot

Clarification for Last Chapter: "_Rule Number Nine; Always Carry A Knife_" is a reference to NCIS.

Gibb's Rules to not belong to me, and it was merely a reference.

"…_.Shizu-chan?"_

**Chapter Three**

Shizuo sent a glare down towards me, but Tom stepped in before any more tension could rise.

"Not Shizu-chan. He hates that name... Just Shizuo." Tom corrected.

The blonde stared at me from behind those blue sunglasses, and I could feel his gaze burning a hole into my head. There was an awkward and extremely uncomfortable silence, and I shifted my weight onto my other leg. The silence was finally broken by Tom, Who suggested we head over to a restaurant so we can discuss the arrangements made prior. I mumble my response and the two men place themselves at my sides.

We walk through the streets of Ikebukuro, and the stares never left us for a second. The gossipers grew quiet as we neared, and only continued talking as soon as they believed we were out of earshot. Not all of them were correct. It did feel like an unbearable long walk but according to Tom, it was only a few blocks. Maybe it was the whispers of the Yellow Scarves, or of Shizuo suddenly walking about with a girl who obviously wasn't from this place… but _something_ bothered me. A voice stopped me, and I stood a bear before rushing back to the males sides. Before us stood a tall, dark skinned man handing out flyers. Judging by his thick accent, he was of Russian decent. He spoke with much familiarity to my new bodyguard, and his employer. Eventually his gaze fell upon me, and a wide grin spread on his lips.

"Ah! Shizuo has girl. You treat companion to sushi, Shizuo?" The man spoke.

Shizuo's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, as he snapped his cigarette in half. It found its new home on the concrete before effectively being put out by the sole of Shizuo's shoes. With a small grumble in his tone, the bodyguard introduced the man before me as Simon, before muttering I was not his 'girl'. I gave a small smile to Simon and held out my hand for a shake, although part of me was just a tad worried about his grip.

"Hello, Simon! I'm Clara… A friend, of Shizuo's." I introduced awkwardly. Hey, it wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth either. A little white lie, I suppose. Instead of a hand, a flyer was placed in my palm. I looked at it briefly, noticing it was an advertisement for 'Russia Sushi'. 'Russians make sushi?' I pondered.

Simon was about to speak before a hand touched my shoulder and guided me into the restaurant. We were quickly placed at a table and asked if we wanted any type of drink. I requested some tea, since I had no idea what type of sodas they had here, and the males ordered their respected drinks. I almost felt like I was being interrogated with that two older men across from me. Their gazes were intense, the only difference being the mood they seemed to give off. Tom seemed very relaxed, almost carefree… Meanwhile, Shizuo was tense and did not seem too happy with the new arrangements. Why did I feel like I was six again? Déjà vu seemed to be prominent in this town. Shizuo's scowl never seemed to leave his features, and for a moment I believed he would be a lot handsomer if he had a smile on his face every once and a while. My cheeks flared scarlet at the thought, and I mentally waved it away.

"So, White-_chan_, do you have the files on your person?" Tom inquired.

I removed the tan envelope from my bag and handed it to the man. "Clara."

Tom looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"It's… Just Clara. No honorific. Please." I said firmly, quickly adding the last part. Honestly, I felt intimidated by the man and his super-human companion.

A simple chuckle escaped from the man as a response, before he began flipping through the envelopes contents. The waitress returned to the table with our drinks on a tray, distributing them to the proper owners. She left as soon as she came, excusing herself to go and attend to a very impatient older man and his wife. Shizuo sipped at what I assumed was coffee, as the bitter scent was familiar, with his gaze never leaving me. I put my nose into the menu, only to realize that I probably.. Scratch that, really need to brush up on my Japanese. Not everyone here would be willing to switch to English just because I'm a foreigner. I didn't need to look up to know that Shizuo was still looking at me. Eventually I was given relief from his burning stare as the polite waitress returned to our booth and took our orders. The only 'sushi' I had ever eaten was a cooked California Roll from a little shop back in California. I just asked for whatever Shizuo was having, and the waitress walked off with our orders.

I supposed I had zoned out, because when I snapped out of it, the envelope was dropped into my lap. "Alright then, _Clara_. Shizuo here will be escorting you to and from your destinations. Due to a, erm, misunderstanding with the authorities and my employee, a friend will be watching over you on school grounds. The rest have been outlined in the envelope." Tom explained simply.

I nodded in response. "When do we start?"

"_Now_."

The moment would have been far more dramatic if the waitress hadn't returned a few minutes later with our meals. The plates of sushi were placed before us, and I gave a quiet 'thank-you' to the young woman. The three of us proceeded to eat our meals in silence. Well, what would pass as restaurant silence, with the clinks of silverware and faint music, joined happily by the loud chatter of those eating We continued to eat when I surprised myself by being the first to speak.

"So… Shizuo. Tell me about yourself?"

Shizuo didn't even look up. "What do you need to know?"

His response made my lips curl into a small frown, and my eyebrow twitch in annoyance. "What are you willing to tell me?"

The blonde looked up from his meal, and we had this silence stare down. Neither of us seemed to be willing to back down. His gaze was neither warm or cold, but hard and neutral. I was very well aware that he was not pleased with our current arrangements, but I needed protection and he needed money. Part of me felt sorry for him, but another part had so much apathy. Neutral hazel irises connected with chestnut ones, and we just continued like that for a few moments. Tom corrected Shizuo after a while, instead asking on why I wanted to know about him.

"If I am going to be followed by someone and have their company for gods know how long, I'd prefer if I could consider them a friend then look at them as if they're a babysitter." I answered instead, leaning back in my seat.

Shizuo threw a glance towards Tom, who merely smiled. "That would be his choice, I believe."

That seemed to be the cue to drop the subject, and I obeyed. If I argued then there would be what are considered privileges taken away. I merely shut my trap and continued eating. It wasn't long before we all finished our meals, and paid for them. Tom excused himself, saying he had to go attend to some kind of business. What business, I didn't want to know. Shizuo looked to me as soon as his companion was gone from our sight.

"Apartment." He grunted.

I rolled my hazel irises at this, and turned on my heel. I began walking, hearing the clicks of his shoes against the concrete that told me that he was following. For the first time since I had arrived here, I felt no eyes on me and heard no voices. It was quite a walk from Russia Sushi to my new home, and I slipped in my earbuds in an attempt to either distract myself from the awkward silence or… well. No that was it. I felt one be tugged gently from out of my ear, hearing my companion grumbling something on how I should be more aware of my surroundings.

"…Speaking of being aware of my surroundings… I've heard people whisper already. They think I am a part of something called the 'Yellow Scarves'. Care to explain?"

Shizuo paused in his step, and turned me around. "Where have you heard that name?"

I stare at him, looking almost unamused. "I hear people talking when I pass. My jacket is gold and they assume just because it's a shade of yellow, that I'm a part of the yellow scarves. Plus, me being a foreigner only adds fuel to the fire."

"Stay away from the Yellow Scarves. They're a gang, in the middle of a gang-war with another." He warned, before moving forward as if to tell me to lead him to the apartment.

I quickly rush up to meet him. "Tell me about them. And the other gang."

"Okay. The other gang is called the Dollars. Stay away from them and the flea and you won't have a problem."

It wasn't too difficult to know what Shizuo meant by 'flea'. The way he acted around Izaya made it obvious to even the most ignorant of people that they had some kind of rivalry. My mind wandered back to the man, and shivered visibly at the memories of that spark in his eyes. Growing up with a boy as a best friend gave me firsthand experience to know that, that glint was the glint of mischief. And something tells me that Izaya doesn't have his mischief managed. Our awkward silence stood between us, increasing by the second. The time passed by far too slowly in my opinion, before we finally arrived at the apartment building. Entering and hitting the elevator button, I felt Shizuo's presence behind me. He followed obediently as I entered the compartment, pressing the button labeled with the number four. We waited again, stopping at the third floor for a boy about seventeen— or… rather 'my' age. He was on his cell-phone, talking happily. He must have been trying to convince a girl for a date, but wasn't aware of my presence.

When the doors opened for the fourth floor, I walked out and walked straight to my apartment. Apartment Four-Thirteen. I unlocked the door and walked inside, about to shut the door on habit. But a foot stuck itself between the door and the frame, the man walking in. Turning, I quirked an eyebrow towards this unwelcomed visitor. He paid me no heed as he made himself comfortable on my couch.

"Inviting yourself into my home isn't the best way to get on my good-side." I huffed.

"I'm supposed to be guarding you. Apartments aren't completely safe, believe me." Shizuo said boredly, removing a packet of cigarettes.

He began to lift one to his mouth, pulling out a lighter when I walked over. I smacked it out of his hands, not bothering to look where it landed. The lighter wasn't lit, but he seemed to be frozen in his previous position. A glare was sent my way, and I returned it. For the second time in the last two hours, we had a silent show down as we stayed in our positions. My hand was still in the air from slapping it away, and he was still frozen in the position to light his cigarette.

The silence was broken as I glared at him. "You're not smoking in my house."

"It's not your house."

"It is while I'm living here. And it's against the rules. If I get kicked out of here, according to our agreement, I would end up staying at your place." He was silent as I continued. "And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Silence loomed between us, and we both knew I had won that argument. I plucked the lighter out of his hand, and snapped it shut before dropping it on his lap.

"Go get your cigarette. If you're going to smoke, do it on the balcony." I snapped, turning on my heel and moving towards my room.

I glanced towards my phone as I walked, narrowly avoiding bumping into a wall. The echoing footsteps and the sound of a sliding door told me that Shizuo had actually listened to me. We were most definitely not off to a good start, but hopefully things would get better. Opening the door to my room, I entered and flopped down on the bed face first. My mind reeled through the day's events. I had woken up in America, in my own home. And now I was going to bed in Japan, under guard with a smoking pain in the butt as my body guard. I thought to myself as I nodded off.

'_Yeah, this is the life.'_

- Point Of View Change: Shizuo Heiwajima -

I swear, this chick is going to be the end of me. I would kill Tom if I was able to, but then I'd be out of a job. Leaning against the metal railing, I blew out the smoke from my cigarette. My brown eyes watched as the smoke faded into the city air, and a sigh escaped my lips. The cycle continues, taking in the nicotine and blowing out the smoke. Maybe I should go back in there and apologize… But not now. She'll be fine, she's an adult.

Time ticks by and I drop my last cigarette. I crush it under my foot and head back inside. I can clean that up in the morning, hopefully before she wakes up and bites my head off again. Opening the sliding door, I quietly shut it behind me and walk through the small apartment. It's cozy, I'll admit that.. Yet it seems far too expensive for her cover. But hey, if Americas government thinks it's fine, I can't really say anything. I test out the different doors before finally finding the room in which she took shelter. Her smaller frame is sprawled out horizontally across the bed, as if she just dropped and fell asleep. Tsk. Walking in quietly, I do my best to pick her up without hurting her. I place her under the covers, and take my leave.

Thanks to that stupid agreement, I have to watch her day and night. I take a seat on the couch, and turn on the TV.

Maybe things will be better in the morning.


End file.
